Fence



(No Mandel.)

R. S. lSAYRE'.

Y FENCE.

No'. 557,027. ,Patented Mar.. 24, 1896.

A TTOHNEYS.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT STOKES SAYRE, OF TALLADEGA, ALABAMA.

FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,027', dated March 24, 18-96.

Application filed November 23, 1894. Serial N9. 529,701. (No model.)

T0 all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT SToKEs SAYRE, of Talladega, in the county of Talladega and State of Alabama, have invented a new and Improved Fence, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved fence which is adapted for arrangement to afford a portable panel fence or be rendered stationary, as maybe desired; and the objects of my invention are to provide a simple and cheap fence which will be stable when erected and that is light, strong, and durable, utilizing barbed fence-wire and wooden strips as a barrier to prevent the passage of men or animals through the fence; and a further object is to produce a fence in panels, the main portions of which are formed in trestle shape, affording substantial base portions for the panels which set on the ground and are readily removed from point to point where a temporary fence is needed, the invention alsopcomprising means for removing the legs of the trestle-supports, so that the fence-sections may be conveniently loaded in a compact manner on a wagon for portage when this is desired.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of a fencepanel embodying the features of improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an end portion of a fence-panel, showing a modified form of the trestle that supports other parts of the fence-panel.

The mn io, which forms the body of the trestle whereon other parts of the fence-panel A are secured and maintained, comprises a timber-beam of suitable length and thickness to afford a fence-panel of desired length and having proper weight to render the panel stable wherever it is set. The said trestle-rail l0 may be formed of an undressed tree-trunk of proper diameter and have a measurably two or more pairs of legs ll removably secured in or on the rail l0, and preferably these legs are inserted in perforations of proper depth and diameter which are produced in the rail l0 near its ends.

ln order to afford a Wide base for the fencepanel, each pair of legs ll is made to diverge at an angle of from forty to forty-five degrees and may have its lower ends sharpened, as represented in Figs. l and 2, which formation will adapt the legs to slightly enter the ground and prevent lateral displacement of a fencepanel when it is seated where the fence-line is to .be erected.

In Fig. 2 the legs ll are represented as projecting through the apertures made for their reception in the rail l0, oppositely or in the same 'transverse plane; but if the material composing the rail is not sufficiently heavy to permit such a location of each pair of legs they can be set one in advance of the other lengthwise of the rail and properly diverged to spread the lower ends of each pair of legs about the same distance apart. It is of advantage to produce shoulders on the legs by reducing the diameter of the tenons formed on their ends, so that the legs will rest on the shoulders when inserted, and the tenons should be long enough to pass through the rail 10 and project from it to permit them to be knocked out when this is desired.

Near each end of the trestle-rail l0 a hole is formed through said rail at such points with regard to the legs 1l that the holes will be vertical when the legs are made of equal length and the trestle is erected in a level place.

One or more additional vertical perforations may be produced between the holes above mentioned, and in all these perforations similar standards l2, constituting vertical posts, are inserted, the said posts being driven through the rail 10 so as to project a desired length above vand below the rail.

-Each of the portions of the posts l2 that are projectedv above the rail l0 near its ends is provided with a brace 13, said braces extending diagonally from the post to the rail, to

IOO

which the braces are secured at their ends, thereby aiording props for the end posts of a panel. If preferred, the several panels of a fence having the improved trestle-supports maybe erected as a continuous fence of any desired length by placing ends of the rails 10 adjacent and in a straight or irregular line, as the situation may require, and then eX- tending a proper number of fence-wires 14E along the several fence-panels, which wires are attached bythe usual means on the sides of the posts 12, above and below the rail 10.

In order to stiften the posts 12 and dispense with the employment of a large number of fence-wires 14, the strips 15,preferablyformed of wood, are secured at intervals of the posts 1), intervening between the wires. This form of construction is well adapted for the production of fence-panels A that are to be removably erected for the temporary guarding of a plot of ground, as the fence-wires in this case may terminate at the ends of each fencepanel. The strips 15 that are located below the rail l0 afford an additional safeguard against the passage of hogs through the lower parts of the fence-panels.

It will be seen that if the legs 1l are removed the fence-panel becomes fiat, so that a large number of these fence-sections may be loaded on a draft-wagon for transportation, the replacing of said legs putting the trestles into condition for the stable support of fencewires if the fence is to be permanently erected, as before explained.

In Fig. 3 a modiiied form of construction of the trestles is represented, consisting of a rail 16 formed of a strip of wooden plank, (shown in part in the view,) said rail having two pairs of cleat-blocks 17 oppositely secured on its sides near the end which is the terminal of the panel. The pair of trestle-legs 1S are held diverged from each other, so as to spread their lower ends, by the cross-bars 19, which have their ends secured on the legs, said bars being arranged so as to retain the upper ends of the legs separated a distance equal to the thickness of the trestle-rail 16, and as the legs have their upper extremities cut parallel to each other and the thickness of theV legs is gaged to equal the spaces between the pairs of cleat-blocks on each side of the rail it will be evident that the trestlelegs can be slid at their upper ends between the blocks 17 and permit the ends of the legs to embrace the rail 16, the upper cross-bar 19 aiording a seat for the rail, so that a iirm but readilydetachable connection of the legs and trestle-rail is thus produced.

The modification that has been described is available for light portable fences, and the panels are completed by the attachment of upright posts 20, one at each end of a panel,

to receive fence-wires let, that are secured thereto in the ordinary manner,and,as shown, each fence-post 2O should be provided with a brace 2l to stiften it against the strain of the fence-wires 14 when these are stretched taut on the post, to complete the fence-panel.

The preferred form of the fence shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is most generally available, as it is adapted for the utilizing of small treetrunks and straight limbs of the same to produce the trestles and posts 12 of the fencepanels, thereby enabling the construction ol' fence-sections very cheaply, while a substantial and convenient fence is provided by the improvement.

The improved fence is well adapted for use on hilly ground, as by shortening the legsof the fence-panels on the upper side of the same a line of panels of the improved con* struction may be placed on the side of a steep hill and aord a reliable felice.

Having thus described my4 invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A fence-panel, consisting of a rail provided with vertical and inclined apertures, legs detachably secured in the inclined apertures of the rail, posts secured in the vertical apertures of the rail and projecting above and below the said rail, inclined braces secured to the end posts and to the rail, and wires secured to the posts above and below the said rail, substantially as described.

2. Afence-panel, consisting of a rail apertured at each end and at about its center and provided with divergin g legs,posts in the apertures of the rail and projecting above and below the same, inclined braces secured. to the rail and to the end posts, wires secured to the posts above and below the rail, and wooden strips also secured to the posts above and bclow the rail, substantially as described.

ROBERT STORES SAYRE.

litnessesz J. A. THORNTON, J. B. WooDwARD.

IOO 

